Complications
by davidtennxnt
Summary: On Bad Wolf Bay back in 2008, things were left at a seemingly happy ending for Rose Tyler. She got her Doctor, well sort of, and they were off to live their lives together, as it should be. But what if it all fell apart? And soon Rose Tyler finds herself back to where she began, pushing to get back to the Doctor. The real Doctor.
1. Chapter 1

**{AUTHOR'S NOTE}**

So, after a couple of kind words and some reassurance, here it is! The first chapter of my very first piece of writing of this sort. It's basically just a Journey's End re-write, providing some context before the head-canon begins.  
Reviews would be greatly appreciated, cause hearing your feedback and opinions helps me out to improve my writing and make this fanfic as good as it can be.  
I hope you enjoy reading! :)

* * *

**[Dårlig Ulv Stranden, "Bad Wolf Bay" - 2008]**

It always comes back to here. On this beach in _bloody_ Norway, with Rose Tyler and the Doctor, saying goodbye. Except now there's two of him and she's struggling to comprehend the fact that this time, he's offering to spend his life here in Pete's World, with her. But in her eyes, it's not _him _and she doesn't know if she can accept this offer because how can she be sure that this man, this "Part human Doctor", is exactly the same person she fell in love with?

But it all seems so perfect, so right. This was Rose Tyler, finally getting her happy ending and her Doctor. She could picture their future together, as if it were playing in front of her eyes. Discovering each other again, overcoming their differences, buying a house together, sharing a mortgage, starting a family and of course, falling in love. A new kind of adventure was waiting for the two of them and all she had to do was decide if this was what she really desired.

The sound of the TARDIS snaps Rose Tyler back to reality before she's made her choice.

"We've got to go. This reality is sealing itself off - forever."

The Doctor turns to leave, to end this and perhaps, to finally get closure knowing that she'll be happy this time.

"But, it's still not right!" She can't stop the words spilling out of her mouth. Rose knows that she should just accept this gift of life that he's giving her but there's still something stopping her. "... 'Cause the Doctor's... Still_ you_."

He needs to leave. As much as he wishes that she could join him, fill his life with her light, he knows that this is for the best. This is what she deserves. A proper life.

"And I'm him."

There is only one thing that will set Rose straight and that is the answer to the question she has asked herself for the past 3 years.

"Alright. Both of you, answer me this." She takes a moment to breathe as the two Doctors - and essentially her two possible futures - stand at each side of her. "When I last stood on this beach, on the worst day of my life, what was the last thing you said to me?" There's hesitation and she's afraid that perhaps she'll never know what he really meant to say. "Go on. Say it!"

The Doctor's mind and hearts are racing. He knows what she wants to hear and he knows that he can't say it because she'll choose him. He swallows, clearing his throat before he speaks. Before he disappoints her.

"I said, 'Rose Tyler'."

She looks him dead in the eyes, pleading, as he says this. She knows that he knows what she wants to hear and she was going to hear it.

"Yeah. How was that sentence gonna end?"

As much as his mind is screaming at him, he cannot say those three words. He can't finish that sentence that longs to be completed.

"Does it need saying?"

Rose continues eye contact with him for a few moments, begging him without words. She needed to hear this more than she needed anything in her entire life and she needed to hear it, from him, and as much as she wanted to listen to those words coming from the real Doctor's mouth, she understood that this was a test. She turns to the Meta-Crisis.

"... And you Doctor?" Already, by calling him Doctor, she was beginning to accept him. "...What was the end of that sentence?"

His hand gently reached for her arm as he leaned closer towards her ear. Providing Rose Tyler with her answer and decision.  
As he whispers in her ear, Rose Tyler's heart stops. She stops to look at him, as if taking a moment to assess if this is real and then, without a thought, she pulls him in and releases all her feelings towards him in one passionate kiss. This was it, there was no going back. The Doctor's world shatters as he watches them and wishes that he had the guts to just tell her all those years ago, but in his mind he know that this was right. Rose Tyler, no longer _his_ Rose Tyler, was happy and loved. Something that he could never truly make her. This was his closure. She knew now and that was all that mattered, so he turns to leave, not saying goodbye because the Universe knows that he _hates_ goodbyes and this was no exception to that.  
The sound of the TARDIS door closing, forever, caused Rose to swiftly run towards it - as if by instinct, but it was too late. The TARDIS slowly fades away, leaving the two of them to live their lives together.

He takes her hand as they watch the space that once sat the TARDIS returns to but a patch of slightly shifted sand. She turns to face him.

"You're definitely him...?" she questioned.

"Yeah. In every aspect, like he said. It's just the aging part."

She takes a deep breath and looks to the ground, shuffling her feet in the sand.  
A couple of seconds passed before he spoke again.

"... Is that okay?" he asks, somewhat fearing her answer as he knows that there is a chance that she won't accept him.

She looks back up at him. "Y-Yeah... Yeah. It is." she says, her mouth slowly forming into a small smile but there's still a flash of sadness in here eyes. He squeezes her hand.

"He'll be okay. I promise." he reassures her.

"I know... It's just..." she clears her throat and blinks, pushing back the tears that are threatening to spill out, "Never mind..."

Several minutes pass and they both stand, hand in hand, staring out to sea in silence. But it's a comfortable silence, so they let it be until Jackie pierces through,

"Right, you two! Pete's sending out a car to come collect us. Should be 'ere in about a day or two, so let's get some rooms in that Bed and Breakfast up the road until we're sorted."

The Meta-Crisis nods and turns to Rose.

"Ready?", he asks.

"Yeah... Let's go."

He squeezes her hand. Not out of reassurance, but out of a reaction to the sharp pain that strikes the back of his mind for a few seconds. He gasps, wincing whilst tightly closing his eyes and raising a hand to his temple.

"Are you alright?" Rose stops and lays a comforting hand upon his upper arm.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah.." he grits his teeth and slowly the pain recedes into nothing, "S'just the TARDIS leaving this Universe, I think. Our bond breaking-"

She cuts him off, knowing how strongly connected the Doctor is to his ship, "Oh God, is that bad?!"

"It's fine, I'm fine! It's just that presence disappearing, I think. My psychic connection to the TARDIS was noticeably weaker compared to his. It's your fault, anyway. Humans and your limited psychic abilities." He cheekily grins at her, hopefully calming her assumptions. She punches his arm lightly.

"Oi! You can't complain now, you've gotta deal with it!" she jokes, "However... I dunno if I like this bit of added lip."

They both laugh before continuing on behind Jackie, beginning their normal life together. The Doctor and Rose Tyler, as it should be.

However, in the distance, far off shore, a storm is approaching...


	2. Chapter 2

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Thank you all for you're reviews and kind words, as usual - I really appreciate it! :)  
Chapter 2 is gonna be a progression of Tentoo and Rose's relationship. Trying to broaden this fic out as much as possible so it's not just a 4 chapter short disappointment.  
Hope you enjoy!

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As the made their way up to the Bed and Breakfast, something shifted in Rose. One minute, they were laughing and things were appearing to be going smoothly, then, she fell quiet. It must have been something he said. He thinks it was about how he now had to create an identity for himself. Something about how she said he can't call himself "Just 'the Doctor'" anymore and how when he questioned why, she shrugged and mumbled what may or may not have been the response of, "Because you're not." However, he brushed it aside and left her to her thoughts.

When they made it to their destination, the effects of the day seemed to suddenly dawn on Rose. She shifted on the spot as Jackie ordered the rooms, desperate to curl up and let herself relax.

"May I ask how many rooms you shall be needing, madame?"

"Two, tha-" Jackie was suddenly cut off by a voice behind her.

"Three." She looked towards the Meta-Crisis, "If... If that's okay. I just.." Her voice fell quiet.

"It's fine." He gave her a small smile. Even though there was a wave of disappointment due to the fact that when she traveled with _him, _on more occasions than not, they had to share a room whilst on an adventure, he knew that this wasn't going to be plain sailing for Rose. "Three, Jackie."  
He shifted his gaze back to Rose. She was idly wandering around the lobby, stopping every now and again to observe a painting on the wall or read a brochure but to him, she seemed so... transparent. Even now, he could still read her like a book and he could tell she was still hurting.

* * *

They settled into their rooms shortly after midnight, Jackie on the first floor, Rose and the Meta-Crisis on the second floor in adjacent rooms from one another. As Rose lay on her bed, she quickly came to realise that she could not sleep. Her mind was still trying to fully process the events of the day. The Doctor was gone again, yet he was technically sleeping in the room next to her. It just wasn't right. She heard what she wanted to hear, he gave her a life with him and she chose it, yet she still wasn't completely happy and oh, how she hated herself for it. She wanted to love him, to accept him, to quietly creep into his room and hold him. To breathe in that scent that was undoubtedly him and hear that single heart beating for her. To say sorry over and over and just _live_. But she couldn't - not yet, anyway. Her thoughts drifted to _him_, the _real _Doctor and what he was doing whilst she lay heartbroken. She wondered if he felt the same. Did he drop Donna home too? Was he alone? It was then her walls broke and her distress escaped her body through the form of tears and choking sobs. She couldn't stop herself. Rose Tyler was lost and she needed the Doctor. _Her Doctor. _

The Meta-Crisis Doctor sat on his bed. Fiddling with the contents he had found in the pockets of the blue suit that he had not worn for so long. In the midst of untangling the yo-yo that he had been far too amused with after discovering, something caught his attention. He stilled, straining himself to pinpoint what he had heard. Was it... crying? As if by instinct, his mind automatically focused on only one thing, Rose. Was she hurt? In danger? He jumped to his feet, darting out of his room and straight into the next, not even taking the time to knock on the door but instead swinging it open.

"Rose?! Are you okay?" His eyes scanned the room until they fell on the single bed against the far-side wall, the wall that separated them. Rose was curled into herself, facing away from him and she was definitely crying. He approached her side, kneeling down and gently placing a hand on her shoulder.  
She didn't acknowledge his presence until his hand lay upon her. She jumped, quickly wiping her eyes before slowly sitting up and hoping the lack of light would somewhat conceal her tear-stained cheeks.

"Yeah." she sniffed, "Yeah, 'm fine. What's wrong?" Rose tried to steady her voice, holding down the suddenly paused sobs below her throat that were threatening to surface again.

"I heard you crying." the tone in his voice made it clear that he was stating a fact. She knew that he knew she was crying.

"I told you. I'm fine." She forced out a small smile. "Can I go back to sleep now...?"

"Rose..." he sighed, "I heard you crying." Her smile faded and she shifted her eyes away from him. She could continue making excuses but she accepted that he wouldn't give in.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered, almost inaudible. She looked past him as his hand slowly covered hers.

"It's okay. I understand." He gently squeezed her hand, "Really, I do."

"But that won't stop me from feeling an ungrateful arsehole, will it?!" She retorted, taking her hand away, "You don't deserve this! To be stuck here with me. You don't deserve any of this!" Her tears returned, spilling over as her throat stung with holding back her emotion. "I know this is hurting you too, I can see that you miss the TARDIS and you should be out there travelling and it's my fault that you're trapped here, with one life and with someone who can't even love you prop-" Her words were stopped as his arms were suddenly tightly wrapped around her and their bodies clashed together as he held her while she cried, her body shaking beneath him, her tears staining his suit.

"No. You don't get to do that." he said, gently swaying her in his arms as if she were a distressed child, "You don't get to blame yourself. At all. None of this is your fault, Rose. I swear, it isn't... And when I say I understand, I really do. I know that it's going to take time for you to accept me and I'm willing to wait. If it's a few days, a week, even a year.. I'll still be waiting because this heart, Rose Tyler-" He opened up the space between them and placed her hand on his chest, just as she did on the beach, "This single, human heart beats for _you_. It was created for a reason and even though, right now, there may be a void in it, I know that someday that void will be filled by your love and I'm prepared to wait as long as I have to for that to happen."

Rose was silent - this time because she was truly speechless. She was in awe over what he had just said. He had basically handed his love for her to her on a plate and the only thing she could do was pull him close again and cry upon his shoulder until she fell asleep to the sound of one single heart.

And he didn't mind at all.


End file.
